Method of making axle housings



May 7, 1940. R. H. MADDOCK METHOD OF MAKING AXLE HOUSINGS Filed April 1,1938 D} mp W m I Base/ark.

Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES ,z, 9. Zi

METHOD OF MAKING AXLE HOUSINGS Robert H. Maddock, Lakewood, Ohio,assignor to The Midland Steel Products Company, Cleveland, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application April 1, 1938, Serial No.199,469 Claims.(01. 29-1531) This invention relates to new and useful improvements inrear axle housings for motor vehicles and an important object is toprovide a method for manufacturing the banjo portions of rear axlehousings of any width and size desired, to adapt it for completion ofthe ends of the housings from tubular stock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of making thebanjo portions of housings which provides for making maintenance ofuniformity of stock thickness throughout the housing, or thedistribution of such thickness of metal wherever it is required in thehousing.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a method for makingaxle housings looking toward the end of employing the strongest and mosteconomical type of stock andequipment for its manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description.

, In the accompanying drawing forming a part of the description andwherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe several views.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the completed housing.

Fig. 2 is a plan of one of the two fiat blanks employed in themanufacture of the banjo portion of the housing.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the blank partially formed,

Fig. 4 is a top plan of the same,

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the same,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the blank formed into final shape,

Fig. 7 is a top plan of the same,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the same,

Fig. 9 is an exploded view showing parts of the housing in theirrelative position for assembly,

Fig. 10 is a transverse section through the center of the housing.

Manufacture of axle housings solely from tubular stock, wherein one endof such stock is slit and enlarged to form one-half of the banjo portionof the housing, is not the most economical for certain requirements ofhousings With the use of such stock, a housing requiring an unusuallylarge and wide banjo portion, would necessitate the use of very heavygauge tubing to compensate for the expanding. and stretching of metal toform the larger size banjo portion.

, While this would provide suflicient stock for the blanks ll, shown inFig. 2, which areformed to provide a circular'ring like banjo po1tionl2,of channel-shaped cross section. Since there is no limitation uponthewidth which'the blank can be formed, the banjo portion can be made aswide or as deep as desired, without regard to the size or weight of thetubular ends l3 of the housing. Each blank II .is substantially rec-'tangular with a laterally enlarged medial portion I4 shown in Fig. 2.This fiat blank is inserted into a press between suitable dies and first7 formed to the shape shown in'Fig. 3"to provide the longer dimension ofthe blank." In the same operation, the two ends I6 of the blank are bentinto Wingsv to converge toward the depression l5. These ends attheirextremities' are formed with flanges H to give them initialchannelshaped formation withoutstretching the metal. The material forthe blank is about 3' of an inch thicker than the Wall thickness of theenlarged ends of the tubes 13, in order that the stock thickness of thestampings, wherev they are united to such enlarged ends, will besubstantially equal. After the depression [5 hasflbeen formed, itsbottom is provided with an elliptical opening l8 having its edgesparalleling the edgesof the depression. o

The next step in the manufacture of each half of the banjo portionconsists in subjecting the partially formed blank shown inFig, 5't0 asecond forming operation which forms the entire blank and ends I6 intotrue simi-circular or half ring like configuration with .a pair ofparallel side flanges l9 which are in effect, continuations of theflanges l1, partially formedin the initial forming operation. At thesame time that the blank is formed into a channel section of half ringshape,'a male die passes through the opening l8 to bend the margins ofthis opening outwardly while'moving them axially to form an.

This operation 9 oval tubular extension 29. slightly reduces thethickness of the tubular extension approximately & of an inch bystretching it lengthwise so that it approximately equals the wallthickness of the tubular end I3.

Each tubular end l3 has its inner end tapered and enlarged intoovalcross section as at 2 I, the tapering stopping short of the innermostend, so that its Walls are parallel as at 22 to be exactly the same sizeand shape as the tubular extension of each half banjo section. The ovalsectionsflll' and 22 are then placed in longitu-g' dinal alignment andbutt welded together, so

that each axle end, at this stage of the manufacture, carries asemi-circular banjo half. If desired however, the two banjo halves l6may be first placed end to end with their flanges ill in alignment andbutt welded together along the lines 23 before the axle ends l3 are buttwelded to the tubular extensions 20.

The tubular axle ends I3 may be formed from tubular stock, or from flatblanks. When made from tubular stock, they may be formed from seamlesstubing or welded tubing in which latter case the longitudinal weld line24 is preferably disposed in a horizontal plane with reference to thenormal position of the axle housing and at one side of the lower half ofthe tubular section, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9. With reference to theposition of the weld with respect to the automobile in which itis used,it is in the rear portion of the housing opposite the side thereof towhich is secured the differential cover connected with the torque tube.

When the axle ends 63 are made from flat stampings, each axle end [3 ismade up from a pair of stampings formed in a press to semicircularcrosssection with the enlarged tapered ends 2! simultaneously formedtherewith. Such two half sections are then welded along a pair oflongitudinally extending seams to form each axle end.

From whichever stock the axle ends are made, their outer ends 25 arethickened by upsetting and are flanged as at 26 prior to the attachmentof these axle ends to the banjo portion. Each axle end 25 is providedwith an internal upset of about a of an inch' to provide an internalannular shoulder for the bearing retainer ring, not shown. Each end isalso provided with a pair of thickened shoulders 28 immediately adjacentthe flange 2t. These external shoulders 28 may be provided from anupsetting operation or from two tube diameter reducing operations. Whenprovided by the latter method, tube ends l3 are originally shorter andthicker than the finished length of tube end, and are thinned outinreducing and swaging operation, with the exception of the outer ends25', which are left in thickened condition by such reducing steps aswill leave the two external shoulders 28. When this method is followed,the operations precede the welding of the inner ends of the axle ends l3to the banjo stampings. Also, prior to the formation of the tapered ends2!, the outer ends of the tubes are provided with the internal upset 2'!and during this upsetting operation, the external thickened portion 28may also be provided in case it is desired to eliminate the tubereducing steps.

After the two banjo sections are butt welded together along the line 23,to form the circular banjo portion a pair of half ring reinforcements 25are projection welded to the inside of each flange H] to span the joints23 and to dispose the ends 26 of each pair of rings which are slightlyspaced apart, diagonally with respect to the horizontal diameter of thebanjo portion.

It is to be understood that various changes in the construction andarrangement of parts as well as the sequence of the steps in the methodmay be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. The method of forming a banjo portion for rear axle housingsconsisting of cutting a pair of flat rectangular blanks each with anenlarged medial portion, forming a central depression in the enlargedmedial portion of each blank with the ends of the blank deflected out ofthe plane of the medial portion and-partly channeled, perforating thedepressed portion of each blank, further forming each blank to asemi-circular channeled half ring while bending out the edges of theperforation to form an integral medial short tubular extension aroundsaid perforation,

and then welding the two half rings together with the tubular extensionsaligned and extending from opposite sides of the completed banjoportion.

2. The method of forming a rear axle housing consisting of cutting apair of flat blanks each with an enlarged medial portion, forming acentral oval depression in the enlarged medial portion of each blankwith the ends of the blank defiected out of the plane of the medialportion and partly channeled, perforating the depressed portion of eachblank, further forming each blank into a semi-circular channeled halfring while bending out the edges of the perforation to form an integralmedial short tubular extension, butt welding a tubular arm to eachtubular extension, and then butt welding the two half rings together.

3. The method of forming a rear axle housing consisting of blanking apair of flat blanks, each with an enlarged medial portion, forming acen-' tral depression in the medial portion of each blank whiledeflecting the ends of the blank and bending the ends into channeledsection, perforating the depressed portion of each blank, furtherforming each blank into a semi-circular channeled half ring whilebending out the edges of the perforation into a short tubular extensionand stretching said extension to a wall thickness gradually diminishingoutwardly from the half ring to the free end of the extension, andwelding a tubular arm having a wall thickness equal to that of the freeend of the extension to said free end of each tubular extension.

4. The method of forming a banjo portion for rear axle housingsconsisting of forming a pair of fiat rectangular blanks, each with anenlarged medial portion, forming a central oval depression in the medialportion of each blank while deflecting the ends of the blank and bendingsaid ends into channeled section, perforating the depressed portion ofeach blank, further forming the blanks into semi-circular channeled halfrings while bending out the edges of the perforations to form integralmedial short tubular extensions, and then butt Welding the two halfrings together with thetubular extensions aligned and extending fromopposite sides of the completed banjo ring.

5. The method of forming a banjo portion for rear axle housingsconsisting of forming a pair of fiat blanks each with an enlarged medialportion, forming a central oval depression therein and pulling in theedges of the enlarged medial portion while channeling the ends of theblank, perforating the depressed portions, forming each blank into asemi-circular half ring while bending out the edgesof the perforationsin a plane normal thereto to form integral medial short tubularextensions while elongating said extensions to reduce their wallthickness at their free ends, and then butt welding two half rings to-

